WELLINGTON CRICKET

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 19, 18 October 1943, Page 3

WELLINGTON CRICKET

Prospects For Coming

Season

(By

Burwood).

Notwithstanding the depressing effects of the abnormally wet winter and spring, Wellington cricketers are optimistically hoping that the sun will shine strongly enough to enable a start to be made with championship competitions on October 30. The almost continuous rain which has fallen during the past four months has caused a serious problem for groundsmen. Mr. A. Brewer, custodian of the Basin Reserve, stated on Saturday tliat lie had never in his 30 years’ experience been confronted with such a difficult problem in preparing wickets at the Basin as faces him this season. The chief trouble is that the continuous rain has prevented work on the pitches, with the result that the grass has come away so luxuriantly as to compel the use of a scythe. Nevertheless, if the weather improves, Mr. Brewer and his depleted staff cau be depended upon to have the wickets at the Basin ready for a start with senior championship games on the last Saturday of this month.

The management committee of the Wellington Cricket Association has acted wisely in deciding to continue the 1943-44 season with one-day matches. ‘While the war is on no club could with certainty depend on playing the same eleven on two Saturdays running. Canterbury and Auckland, who have decided to revert to twoday games, may find many of their teams rolling up with three or four men missing on the second day. As a matter of fact,, the game of cricket at present is in the melting pot, and the duration of matches is exercising the minds of authorities all over the world.

The Sussex County Cricket Club in a report this year has suggested that English county championship matches after the war should be confined to two days, to be played on Saturday and Monday and on Wednesday and Thursday. This, the Sussex report claims, would enable alt counties to play home and away matches with each other and allow greater possibility of amateurs beiug able to play. Third day cricket, the- report points out, has almost always proved a financial loss Writing in the 1943 ’’Wisden,” Mr. R. C. Robertson-Glasgow lias the following to sa- regarding one-day cricket: “League cricket flourished at weekends in Yorkshire Lancashire, Durham and the Midlands! Perhaps the highest standard of play was nialntalned in the Bradford League, where teams were often enriched by three or four of the Illustrious who happened to be serving in the»distrlct; and specimens were ed °C a ? yPe P la Y. intense, competitive and enjoyable, which may yet become the standard first-class game of future years.” Some New Faces. Some new faces will be seen In the senior ranks in Wellington when chain* pi mu Shlp ames £ Gt under way.. The University team will be strengthened by the inclusion of L. C. Baker, an Otago representative batsman, who was selected to accompany the New Zealand team of under-21 players who were to have toured Australia in 1939 had not the war intervened. Other new blood in the Varsitv I be I> 9.’ stace - a bowler from the Canterbury College club, and B. bmythe another Canterbury College player te r r s S it7c o1 b 0 e ur 2“ hand to uphoid the wh ,° Y On tlle senior and club championships last season, will have practlcal- * T ® ame team in the field during tbe coming season. Hutt made no race of ?£ D * or championship last season, scornk i - polut wins au d taking part in five dea d r cut°wln On nH> tS --r Thls . gave them a e*ear cut win with ,5 points. 17 noints cG? ad > KUblrnie, the runners-up. The Dlaved a n a hi abl ® leader , in R- Stehr, who Ev y spnr?n<r b ~M Part n t lO tealn ’ s success of 47 76 1 n'n 7 InS at , the Kood average at R ' Buchan > who took GO wickets at the cheap cost of 6.4 S a wicket also manfully did his best. also „. T he Kilblrnte team will be greatly oZ R S F en ? d ,? ie i scason the inclusion Meilzies - tlle brilliant former Canterbury representative batsmau. H. Ice T n agai n lead the side, and will AXnl nder x, hi .?, suc 'h stalwarts as J. ni llen and Fitzsimmons. ia^ R I orl Wlll have muc b the same team ae last season with the addition of Alildenvear ' n ’ ho last a nteri^ b a K Xa n rTca I kp H^rYl h y? YIU Io n t a X nt^n n e d ' PeJCOCk baS hi! nlL e ps n in^u n wiU . ha Y e to fight fOr their senior team this season, so fiAn tJiV 116 Y caB h of talent offering. The Fast wo ll aea J“ be „ ’«! by A. Kiddolls, who of at an T f n icket. In addition to Peacock, PalD J e £, WJ,! be back from military in? V « e fte a r nd nP’ Wllila . ms - who is recuperatlater on" 66 *’ W1 " a?pear wlth the felt sh .'’ul f l make its presence telt this season will be Air Force, who Tamp recef J ed a valuable recruit i n v. th-? hntsm f » Ormei ; L'anterbury represeutaCanterhX ’ 7 h ° 6Cored a ceutur .v Lb canterbury a few seasons back. With R. £ raW | j fd ’ A ll 6 a ble all-rounder, to stiffen interesting? 11 ” F ° rCG Sh ° uld niatters al? V |f Ili ? Et ? n Colle ,B e Old Boys will have ti ast , ?F. a . eon 3 P ers °nnel on baud, with the addition of Riddell and Armour Cara? are returned from military service, wickete 2t h » yte ’ Wh ° laHt season took 76 , tVp ? an av ®rage of 10.67, will again I e o a l te , a ., m ’ witll sueh tried ptrformers port' hh? aldS ° n aQd A ' W ’ Dunca n to sup.

s P f; ft n Mo^?n y ’ w ’ lo , ecored 500 runs last Al> D 1 again !ead st - Patrick’s college Old Boys, who eame sixth on the hs« n ?n™ nSblp la . d ? er last season - This team BhonM dA ei omi ?, in s yopps playere, who £ ven beti er this season. •M.uland-WeHlngtuii, who occupied seventh place last season, will again b e skippered by that able all-rounder, H. W Osa?>T U ’ » ? 1 a ß a iu be supported bv'that S r M a ell ed all-rounder, A. Blundell, list Bea °s 8 o S nT d f ° rt ? aS a bats,naa °f clas * te. by SCOIIn ff ore r 500 runs. Ho is a batsman of tne free-scoring- order, Thellnh e h t n at0 ‘’ 3 i lo \ e to watc h in action. Bhietr lU whA ? Shined valuable recruits in Bluett who has played for South Canterb”ry- Taranaki, and N.Z.E.F. teams in the , ordon ' from the Grafton LoJo -°- a ?^’ and > and some dozen new members. The veteran, I. A. H. Symes, will turn out again, and his fast bowling should strengthen the attack. If E. W. xr.VV, 11 ’ , is on furlough from the Middle East, is available, his wicketkeeping and batting ability will be a tower of strength.

Institute and Army, who were bottom dogs last season, should do betier this season, as they will not have so much chopping and changing of personnel.